The Best Value Audiobook Summary Subscription Service by Far, With Great Narrators & Quality Summaries
Blinkist Review
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Pricing
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Depth of Library
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Audiobook Availability
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Customer Support
User Ratings - Click Stars to Vote
( votes)Blinkist Pros & Cons
Table of Contents
What is a Book Summary Service?
Blinkist and getAbstract are both services that pay writers and narrators to summarize a non-fiction book. A typical book might take between 4 to 10 hours to read or listen to.
That is a long time to invest in learning a few key lessons. Book summary services distill the book’s key messages and takeaways and transform them into much shorter versions.
Of course, a summary audiobook service will only work with educational, self-improvement, or business books; you could not summarize a Sherlock Holmes Crime Thriller into 15 minutes; the book would be ruined.
Blinkist Review Summary
Blinkist summarizes non-fiction books so its members can get the key messages of a book in 15 minutes rather than the many hours it takes to read the book. Blinkist has a broad mix of professional writers and narrators who deliver both eBook and Audiobook summaries. At an excellent price point and a great selection of the best business, educational, and self-improvement books, Blinkist is my favorite service.
Two years ago, I signed up for a free trial of Blinkist to try out Audiobook summaries. I liked the service so much. I purchased a yearly subscription.
As a passionate Audiobook listener, I was very excited at the opportunity to listen to an entire book in 15 minutes. Interestingly, there were books that I thought had some great messages, and I learned from them.
There were also books that I was very pleased I did not spend 10 hours reading to get that simple or even unremarkable message.
So for me, this service is great.
Blinkist is a very professional service, their narrators are first class, and the books are very logically laid out and easy to follow.
With every book summary, you get a high-quality 15-minute audiobook and a written summary of the book if you prefer to read it.
I particularly like the feature to listen to the summaries of the New York Times Bestsellers List (see image right).
The single downside is that you only have access to the books as long as you subscribe to the service. This is, however, understandable because the service is unlimited listening; you do not buy a book; you buy access to all the books.
Blinkist Pricing Plans & Cost
Blinkist Basic Plan – Free
Amazingly Blinkist allows you to register for their free plan, in which you can access a free Blink (their name for a book summary) of their choice every single day.
I assume the idea is that you will like the Blinks so much you will later upgrade to the Premium service to get access to the whole library and choose what you would like to listen to. Of course, they are correct; this is exactly what I did.
Blinkist Premium – Unlimited Summaries
Blinkist has a single premium plan that gives you access to as many books as you want. The key difference is in the pricing. If you opt for a monthly subscription, it costs $15.99 per month in the USA, meaning $191.88 per year.
However, I recommend paying for the year in advance, which is a single payment of $99.99, which gives you 12 months of access for a 45% discount, which is, in my opinion, a great deal.
getAbstract is also an excellent service that costs $299 per year, with access to 20,000 summaries, but in terms of value for money, Blinkist is a clear winner.
Customer Service & Returns Policy
In terms of returning books, I have previously mentioned you do not actually own the books; you access the service. It is more like Netflix rather than buying a DVD. So, ultimately there is nothing to return.
You can cancel your subscription anytime online with a few clicks, and the customer services teams are available via email or webform.
Blinkist App & Device Compatibility
Playstore App Rating: 4.4 ☆ Excellent
The App itself is a breeze to use, simple and effective.
My library is well organized, and my saved books and favorite books are easy to access.
What I particularly like is the ability to highlight text in a book via the App or Browser.
You can simply select the text and click highlight, and it will be saved in your Highlight tab.
This is perfect for keeping track of those lightbulb moments or key inspiring messages in a book.
The App is highly rated in the App stores, and impressively Blinkist is also compatible with Amazon’s Alexa smart speaker so that Alexa can read them to you.
Blinkist Alternatives & Competitors
There are only two major suppliers of book summary services: Blinkist is a newer startup and getabstract a well-established player. Overall, both companies are outstanding, but Blinkist is clearly better for individuals. Blinkist has a much better pricing model and has the most up-to-date library of bestsellers and business audiobook summaries.
| getAbstract vs. Blinkist Results |  |
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| Rating | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ |
| Audiobook Type | Summary | Summary |
| Summaries | eBook, Audiobook, Analysis | eBook, Audiobook |
| Summary Collection | 20,000+ | 4,500 + |
| Summaries / month | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Subscription /month | $29.90 | $15.99 |
| Subscription /yearly | $299.00 | $99.99 |
| Free Membership | No | Yes |
| Perfect for: | Business | Individuals |
| Result | Winner | |
| Visit getAbstract | Visit Blinkist |
Blinkist Has The Entire Catalog of MBA Study Books
| 1 Day DIY MBA Books List | How to Get The Book |
|---|---|
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale CarnegieLeadershipHow to Win Friends & Influence People is considered the quintessential self-help book. Many prominent people point to its techniques as one of the secrets of their success. The stories and lessons changed my life, and I am sure it will change yours. Carnegie’s advice concrete enough for you to easily implement it in your own life. |   |
The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben HorowitzLeadershipThis book focuses on why the job of a CEO is among the toughest and loneliest in the world. Insights into leadership and how you can survive all the stress and heartache involved. |   |
Capitalism and Freedom by Milton FriedmanEconomicsA true classic, Capitalism, and Freedom (1962) is one of the most influential books on the relationship between economic and political freedom. Written at the height of the Cold War between Soviet socialism and Western capitalism, Milton Friedman argues that only free markets can guarantee liberty. His theory remains every bit as relevant and thought-provoking today as when it was first published. |   |
Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel KahnemanLeadershipDaniel Kahneman’s Thinking, Fast and Slow (2011) – a recap of the decades of research that led to his winning the Nobel Prize. He contributed to our current understanding of psychology and behavioral economics. Kahneman and his colleagues have significantly contributed to a new understanding of the human mind. We now have a better understanding of how decisions are made, why certain judgment errors are so common, and how we can improve it. |   |
Purple Cow by Seth GodinMarketingTransform Your Business by Being Remarkable Seth Godin is a marketing legend, and he explains why traditional marketing no longer works, and why to be successful, you need to build Purple Cows. These are remarkable products and services that stand out from the crowd. They also explain how you can reach your target market once you’ve found your own Purple Cow. |   |
The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy FerrisDigital EconomyThe 4-Hour Workweek (2009) describes the life of the New Rich, people who’ve emancipated themselves from the slavery of office work and built a life centered around happiness in the here and now. If you want to lead such a life too, you’ll have to start by being more productive, outsourcing most of your work to third parties, and finding a source of continuous, almost entirely passive, income. |   |
True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership by Bill GeorgeLeadershipTrue North (2007) is a guide to discovering your inner compass and staying true to yourself while developing the skills you need to be an authentic leader. By uncovering your values and motivations, you’ll gain the tools you need to build a professional life that remains true to who you are. |   |
Scaling Up Excellence by Robert Sutton and Huggy RaoLeadershipScaling Up Excellence is the first major business publication that deals with how leaders can effectively spread exemplary practices in their organization. Covering the latest research in the organizational behavior field with lots of insightful industry case studies, and many helpful practices & strategies. Leaders and managers can understand major scaling challenges and show how to identify excellent niches, spread them, and cultivate the right mindset within their organizations. |   |
The Wisdom of Crowds by James SurowieckiLeadershipWhy the Many Are Smarter Than the Few The Wisdom of Crowds examines why, and under which circumstances, groups of people derive better solutions to problems than any one person, even if that person is an expert. By analyzing the way individuals and groups make decisions, the book gets to the bottom of the wisdom of crowds and shows how this wisdom can be used to make reliable decisions. |   |
Good Strategy, Bad Strategy by Richard RumeltStrategy Good Strategy, Bad Strategy dissects good strategies by using historical examples from a variety of fields and offers insight into developing your own effective strategies through practical advice and a clear blueprint. |   |
Pour Your Heart Into It by Howard SchultzStrategyHow Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time Pour Your Heart Into It takes you on an interesting journey of how Starbucks came to be a success. It sheds light on its beginnings, reveals how the quick growth rate was possible, and sets out to explain how businesses can learn from its strategies and principles. |   |
The Lean Startup by Eric RiesStrategyThe Lean Startup (2011) helps start-ups and tech companies develop sustainable business models using continuous rapid prototyping and focusing on customer-feedback data. The method is based on the concepts of lean manufacturing and agile development, it backed up by insightful case studies from the last few decades. |   |
Tribes We Need You to Lead Us by Seth GodinMarketingSeth Godin reveals the most powerful unit of social organization: the “tribe,” a group of people connected to a cause who together drive change in society. It shares how we can harness the power of the internet to form and lead our own tribes. Tribes also advocates the need for change and leadership, so we can grow as a company or as a society. |   |
How Will You Measure Your Life? by Clayton M. ChristensenPersonal DevelopmentAs a leading business expert and cancer survivor, Clayton M. Christensen provides you with his unique insight on how to lead a life that brings both professional success and genuine happiness. Christensen touches on diverse topics such as motivation and how you can harness it, how to strengthen relationships with loved ones, and how to build a strong family culture. |   |
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon HillPersonal DevelopmentThe secrets of 40 millionaires' wealth The timeless classic, Think and Grow Rich (1937) investigates the methods of the 500 most successful people of this time, including the world’s richest men, politicians, and famous inventors. Published amidst the Great Depression, Think and Grow Rich has sold over 100 million copies. |   |
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. CoveyPersonal DevelopmentLearn the habits of those who achieved everything Required reading for nearly every MBA, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People (1989) is the influential self-help guide that teaches principles of effectiveness. Once you make these principles into habits, you’ll be well on your way to more success, both in your personal and your professional life. Change your habits and your life with this must-know self-help method beloved by millions. |   |
Mastery by George LeonardPersonal DevelopmentThe Keys to Success and Long-Term Fulfillment Mastery reveals how you can shift your mindset to achieve long-term success in new activities. Drawing on real examples from sports, psychology, and mindfulness, this book explains the five essential elements for achieving mastery in any discipline and gives us the tools we need to bounce back from pitfalls. |   |
The War of Art by Steven PressfieldPersonal DevelopmentBreak Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles The War of Art helps you identify your inner creative battles against fear and self-doubt and offers advice on how to win those battles. An inspirational book for anyone who’s had trouble realizing their passion, it offers an examination of those negative forces that keep you from realizing your dreams, and shows how you can defeat your fears to achieve your goals. |   |
Rework by Jason FriedEntrepreneurshipRework (2010) throws out the traditional notions of what it takes to run a business and offers a collection of unorthodox advice, ranging from productivity to communication and product development. These lessons are based on the authors’ own experiences in building, running, and growing their company to a point where it generates millions of dollars in profits annually. |   |
Made to Stick by Chip and Dan HeathMarketingWhy Some Ideas Survive and Others Die Made to Stick is an excellent book that explains why some ideas become popular, while others wither and die. The book lays out the most important characteristics of what makes ideas “stick” in the mind, and how to make them work for you. |   |
Blue Ocean Shift Beyond Competing by W. Chan KimStrategyProven Steps to Inspire Confidence and Seize New Growth Blue Ocean Shift (2017) is a step-by-step guide to overtaking the competition in an overcrowded industry. Based on decades of the authors’ practical experience, the books explain why you should drive to make competition obsolete and how you can open up new worlds of opportunity. |   |
The Tipping Point by Malcolm GladwellMarketingHow Little Things Can Make a Big Difference The Tipping Point discusses why certain ideas, products, and behaviors spread like epidemics and what we can do to consciously trigger and have control over such viral growth. |   |
First, Break All the Rules by Marcus BuckinghamManagementWhat the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently First, Break all the Rules shows how great management differs from conventional approaches. The book covers how some commonly held notions about career and management are actually misleading. Based on a large survey of successful managers the book introduces the key strategies that great managers use in their jobs. |   |
Good to Great by Jim CollinsStrategyWhy Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't Good to Great (2001) presents the findings of a five-year study by the author and his research team. The team identified public companies that had achieved enduring success after years of mediocre performance and isolated the factors which differentiated those companies from their lackluster competitors. |   |
Now, Discover Your Strengths by Marcus BuckinghamManagementHow To Develop Your Talents and Those of the People You Manage Now, Discover Your Strengths (2004) provides insight into our strengths, where they come from, and why we should focus on them. Essentially, tips and techniques for detecting natural talents and using them to put yourself or your employees on the path to excellence. |   |
Getting Everything You Can Out of All You’ve Got by Jay AbrahamEntrepreneurship21 Ways You Can Out-think, Out-perform, and Out-earn the Competition Getting Everything You Can Out of All You’ve Got (2000) is a guide to spotting new opportunities, securing new clients, and succeeding, no matter what your area of business. The book discusses how to make more out of what you already have and how best to use it to your personal and business advantage. |   |
What Got You Here, Won’t Get You There by Marshall GoldsmithPersonal DevelopmentHow Successful People Become Even More Successful! Your people skills become increasingly important the further you climb up the ladder of success. What Got You Here, Won’t Get You There (2007) describes some of the bad habits that hold back people and explains how to change them. |   |
The Long Tail by Chris AndersonDigital EconomyWhy the Future of Business is Selling Less of More The Long Tail challenges existing notions of the market and the entertainment industry by looking at the massive influence of the internet on the economy. Due to new modes of content creation and distribution, it can be more profitable to offer a large number and wide variety of products that appeal to niche consumer groups rather than one product aimed at the masses. |   |
Digital Darwinism by Tom GoodwinDigital EconomySurvival of the Fittest in the Age of Digital Disruption Digital Darwinism (2018) provides critical insight into what makes a business disruptive and what executives should be focusing on in order to stay successful in today’s fast-changing global markets. |   |
Business Model Generation by Alexander OsterwalderStrategyA Handbook for Visionaries, Game Changers, and Challengers Business Model Generation (2010) is a comprehensive guide to building innovative business models. From empathizing and connecting with customers to finding inspiration for products and learning from some of today’s most game-changing platforms, these blinks will help you kick-start your business thinking. This book you will want to by in print. |   |
Blinkist Services, Features & Benefits Table
| Audiobook Service | |
|---|---|
| Our Rating | ☆☆☆☆☆ |
| Do You Own the Audiobook | ✘ |
| Lifetime Access to Books | ✘ |
| Audiobooks Collection | 3K+ |
| Membership /month | $15.99 |
| Membership /yearly | $99.99 |
| Audiobook Service | |
| # Audiobooks | Unlimited |
| Subscription Required | No |
| Audio Quality | Good |
| Books Returns Policy | N/A |
| Customer Support | Email Only |
| Special Services | 1 Free Book per Day |
| eBooks | ✔ |
| App Store Rating | 4.4 ☆ |
| Devices | iPhone, Android, PC, Alexa |
